The rising use of AI in user online search activities definitely makes the case for optimizing web content not just for SEO but for GEO as well. Press releases included.
No, press releases especially. Increasing the probability of inclusion of such content in AI search engine results alone, even if only slightly, is a win already for both brands and their agency partners. Getting cited or mentioned in AI responses or summaries is certainly a nice score, especially with traditional search expected to continue declining in the years ahead as AI-powered counterparts continue to gain steam.
Like the conclusion drawn in one of our more recent blogs (click here if you have not read it), future-proofing one’s content strategy need not be about choosing between SEO and GEO. A hybrid SEO-GEO approach would harness the best of these strategies, empowering an organization, business or brand to maximize reach and influence.
How SEO and GEO can complement each other
SEO has proven effective in generating organic web traffic. While AI-powered search engines are certainly reshaping online search, traditional search engines are still widely used, and SEO-optimized content still holds sway. For these alone, GEO is not likely to replace nor eventually eliminate SEO. But GEO will not go away either.
They do complement each other:
- SEO serves as the foundation, and those who have already invested significantly in SEO will testify to its benefits.
- GEO builds on an SEO foundation, making the content and/or page more easily visible and accessible to AI search engines.
Let’s illustrate. A material on tips to boost social media presence for a small business gets a good ranking on traditional SERPs. If that same content is citation-ready, it can get picked up AI search engines for searches about how to boost social media presence for small businesses or how small businesses can boost their social media presence. The result: The same content or page is seen on both traditional search engines and AI search results. A win all around.
The alternative: Focusing on SEO alone means risking not being visible to AI search engines and losing citation opportunities. Meanwhile, a GEO-only approach could mean forfeiting being included in Google and traditional search engine rankings and generating organic web traffic.
An article with good backlinks and keyword engagement may generate a high ranking on traditional SERPs. But if AI tools cannot parse it and find useful information because of unclear writing, then it will not be cited. Inversely, an article designed for easier parsing by AI assistants because of clear structure and attribution will get AI citation despite getting a low SERP ranking.
But would optimizing content for GEO override SEO efforts?
We’re hearing — err reading — increasingly often how content nowadays should be written not just for humans. Writing should target machines as well.
Is this a step backward from all our SEO training, an unlearning? After all, when we were first learning about how to make content SEO-friendly, one of the lessons was to write for humans first before even thinking of search engines. They are the ones reading, the ones buying the product or trying the service.
This does not change. What is fundamental with SEO is creating content that is engaging, not just something that will hook with the title but one that will keep the reader on the page and finish the entire piece. User intent is also relevant for AI search visibility. This mindset does not need to change either.
SEO training likewise underscores the value of balancing function and form in writing. Function anchored on content value and purpose, and form on structure and presentation.
Knowing that online attention span is shorter, the visual form must be clear for easier reading. Headers and subheads that reflect content hierarchy and flow became important, so did short sentences and paragraphs for better readability. Further SEO training ingrained the use of visual elements like images or bullets, tables and lists to break long texts or help with digesting complex information.
Let’s not forget keywords. And it’s not simply populating a material with keywords. Strategic keyword placement, one that is within context and reads naturally, links the content to user queries and helps search engines find the page and include it in rankings.
Another thing: links. Internal and external links both. Internal links that direct the reader to other content on the site contributes to authority-building. External links point the reader to sources and in so doing boost credibility and trust.
All these remain important for GEO-friendly content. There is no need to unlearn all these SEO hacks simply because one is also emphasizing GEO.
The second part of this article will offer some tips on creating SEO-friendly content that is also optimized for GEO purposes. Watch out for it.
